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The English word education comes from the Latin educere meaning “to lead out”. It is from the word “ex” meaning out of and ducere meaning lead from which we get the word Duke.

Education, therefore, is not about filling a person with information. It is about leading them to knowledge. A true education gives a child the tools they need to learn. It doesn’t merely pour the teacher’s, or Government’s choice of information into the empty child.

All parents have an inherent right and duty to the education of their children. Some choose to fulfill that right and duty through home education. Even if a parent decides to delegate part of that duty to a school the primary role remains with the parents. It is for them, for us, to lead our children out.

In days of old children were not sent to school until they were at least 7 years old. Wealthier families might have a slave, usually a Greek one, who was very well educated and would become the pedagogue for the sons of the family. Pedagogue comes from the Greek and more or less means “walks with boy”.

So we walk with our children, learning alongside them and lead them out. At least that’s what we hope.

I don’t agree with everything John Taylor Gatto says but he is certainly pretty much on the point over the standards of schooling. He is generously trying to make his books free for all readers. You can download Dumbing Us Down here.